Thinking about picking up some aerobars this year. Started doing tris as an excuse to train for weight loss, and now I might actually start being competitive, hence actually considering adding them in.
Therefore I have a stupid question:

Can I install them overtop of my handlebar tape, or do I have to get the bar re-taped? That might help me decide wether to get fixed-pad or spring pad type, since most of my riding is still touring type.

You CAN do whatever you want, duckt tape works wonders.....

It is a matter of will it work properly for you. I have never seen this done, though I would assume that the bar tape may lead to not having a solid connectoin between the bars, allowing the aero bars to slip(rotate?) up or down. Then again, if you crank it down real tight it might just work....

What I obviously meant was: "how it was supposed to be done?" I could elmer's glue it to the bars as glue, let it dry, and see if that holds, but I'm not a complete idiot.


Nevermind. I should know better than to ask questions on teh intarnet and expect help.

How much grip tape do you have on your handlebars? do they reach the stem in the middle? the aerobars that i just bought a week and a half ago for my bike are profile design T1's. they clamp on right where my grip tape ends so i havent encontered that problem, but if your grip tape extends out tto hwere you need to secure your aerobars, it sohuldnt be a problem. just clamp it down hard enough and you should be good to go. unwrapping the grip tape could get annoying and sticky. hope it works out for you. let me/us know how it turns out/

Nevermind. I should know better than to ask questions on teh intarnet and expect help.

Dude, it was a joke....

Like I said, I have never seen it done. Though it is really easy to unwrap the bar tape a little bit, then cut it so it will end right at the bar clamps, then secure it with electrical tape.